Mechanism for molding and vulcanizing rubber soles on shoes.



PATENTED APR. 17, 1906.

T. MILLER. MECHANISM FOR MOLDING AND VULGANIZING RUBBER SOLES ON SHOESAPPLIOATION FILED JUNE 19, 1905 ayml UNITE STATES PATENT UFFICE.

THOMAS MILLER, OF AUBURN, RHODE ISLAND. MECHANISM FOR MOLDING ANDVULCANIZING RUBBER SOLES 0N SHOES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented April 17, 1906.

Application filetl June 19,1905. Serial No. 265,941.

To all whmn it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS MILLER, a citizen of the United States ofAmerica, residing at Auburn, in the county of Providence and State ofRhode Island, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inMechanism for Molding and Vulcanizing Rubber Soles on Shoes, of whichthe following is a specification, reference being had therein to theaccompanying drawings.

This invention relates to a means for vulcanizing rubber soles to shoes,and has for its object to provide a simple apparatus whereby rubbersoles, heels, and foXing may be molded onto canvas or other shoes andsecured permanently thereon by vulcanization of the rubber while undergreat pressure.

An essential feature of this device is the molding of soles of rubber orother plastic material onto canvas or other shoessuch as tennis,yachting shoes, or the likewhere it is desirable or necessary to providethe same with a fining-strip around the vamp, such as that shown in thedrawings. The ordinary way of making these canvas shoes is to form therubber sole separate, cement it onto the upper, and then place the shoeand sole into an oven and vulcanize them without the use of pressure.l/Vhen shoes are thus constructed, the foXing and soles are very apt toseparate or peel off from the upper or vamp. They are also rough andclumsy looking and do not present a finished appearance, as is the casewhen they are molded into exactly the re quired form under pressure.

The preferred manner of forming this improved sole is to last up theshoe in the usual way. Then before it is removed from that last theouter rubber sole is prepared and laid onto the bottom of the shoe. Thewhole is then forced by a heavy pressure into a heated mold of thedesired shape to form the heel, sole, and foxing complete, and in threeor four minutes the operation is finished and the shoe removedcompleted.

When the sole is formed onto the shoe in a mold under great pressure,the inner sole, filling-sole, lapping portion of the vamp, outer sole,(made plastic by the heat,) and the foxing are all compressed andvulcanized together into practically one solid piece handsomely finishedand making it practically impossible for the parts to separate or becomedetached one from the other.

The invention consists of other novel features andparts and combinationsof the same,

as will be fully described hereinafter and then pointed out in theappended claims.

A practical embodiment of the invention is represented in theaccompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in whichsimilar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all theviews.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation showing a clamping-presswith two shoes in position to have their soles vulcanized thereon. Fig.2 is a side elevation, partly in section, showing the clamping device,steamchamber, and a shoe in position in the mold. Fig. 3 is a sectionalView of the mold, showing the heel-sole and that portion which molds theforcing. Fig. 4 is a sectional view 011 line 4 4 of Fig. 3 through themold, showing a shoe and last in position in said mold to vulcanize therubber sole thereon. Fig. 5 is a sectional view showing the constructionof a shoe and the rubber sole applied thereto with skived or bevelededges in a condition to be forced into the mold and turned up around theedges of the shoe to form the sole and foXing. Fig. 6 is a sideelevation representing the heel, sole, and foXing separate from theshoe. Fig. 7 is a sectional view on line 7 7 of Fig. 6.

Referring to the drawings, at 1 is the table or stand upon which thesteam-chest 2 may rest, or the stand and steam-chest may be one and thesame piece, if desired, and at 3 and 4 are pipes communicating with saidsteam-chest. Connected to this table by the rods 4 4 is the yoke 5,through which yoke the clamping-screws 6 and 7 are threaded. Thesescrews are rotated or set up by their respective hand-wheels 8 and 9.The press may be of a width to accommodate any desired number of molds,and the pressure may be applied by a screw, air-pressure, springtension, or any other convenient or desired method.

Resting upon the steam-chest are shown the two molds 10 and 11. Thesemolds are constructed, as illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4, with the exactcontour of the sole of the shoe it is desired to mold, including theheel 12, sole 13, and foXing 14. The mold is also so constructed thatwhen the shoe on the last is in position in the same it fits the line 15on the mold at the upper edge of the foXing so closely as to confine therubber in the mold while under pressure to offer enough resistance tocause the plastic rubber to be forced into the pores of the material ofthe upper or vamp of the shoe, thereby rendering the sole and 'oxingpractically inseparable from said upper 16.

At 17 is the last over which the shoe is made, and at 18 18 are thesprings located between the lasts and the tension-screws, by the use ofwhich springs a flexible tension is obtained to compensate for settlingof the last as the plastic rubber is being molded or forced into shape.

The operation of the device may be further described as follows: Whileby the use of my device rubber soles may be applied to any style ofshoe, it is preferably designed to mold a heel, sole, and foxing ofrubber or other plastic material around a canvas shoe, such astennisshoes, or the like. These shoes are lasted up in the usual way,and the outer sole to be vulcanized is cut into the desired shape from asheet of the rubber material. One manner of cutting out the sole-blankis to make the same the exact size required for the shoe and then cutthe foxing-strip to the desired shape and lay the same around. the soleand upper of the shoe in the mold, or the sole may be cut enough largerand beveled or skived, as at 19, (see Fig. 5,), to form both sole andfoxing in one piece when pressed into the mold, or still another waywould be to cut the sole the exact size of the bottom of the shoe, butto cut the same from material of sufficient thickness so that whenpressed into the mold and heated the extra stock will flow up around thevamp to form the foxing portion.

It has been practically demonstrated that by the application of a greatpressure while the sole is being vulcanized the same becomes more solidand compact and wears much longer than when vulcanized without thispressure, and also when vulcanized under pressure on the shoe thematerial enters the pores of the upper, making it practically impossibleto separate the same therefrom.

Among the essential features of my device are the following: First, thatmeans are pro vided for forming a heel, sole, and foxing portioncomplete all in one piece in a mold; second, that the said mold isformed in only one piece, and therefore the expense of manufacturing thesame is greatly reduced; third, more particularly in the making ofrubber shoes these heels, soles, and foxing may be molded and partiallyvulcanized separate and independent of the upper and subsequentlycemented to said upper and the whole then completely vulcanized in theusual way by placing them in an oven without the use of pressure. Thismethod of molding and semivulcanizing the sole, heel, and foxingseparately from the upper has its special and important advantages overthe old way of making the shoe wholly by hand, one advantage being thatthe shoe when completed has a perfect shape and a finished appearancethe same as a wholly-molded shoe. Then, again, by molding the heel,sole, and foxing into one piece it is naturally much stronger, and asthe greatest wearing strain comes on this portion of the shoe thewearing life of the whole shoe is greatly increased. Again, varnishapplied to a rubber shoe that is subsequently vulcanized without beingmolded will keep its luster much longer than when the shoe is formed ina mold, as by this method the varnish is baked into the shoe and cannotbe easily removed.

The above is a most simple, practical, inexpensive, and efiicient mannerof applying rubber soles to canvas shoes or the like, as

the vulcanizing may be accomplished by the v use of a last, mold, andsteam-chest and the pressure applied by any ordinaryscrew-press, ifdesired. The expense of manufacturing is greatly facilitated over theordinarily complicated and expensive means heretofore employed.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a device of the character described, a mold adapted to form theheel, sole and foxing portion of a shoe from rubber or other plasticmaterial, means for applying heat to said mold for vulcanizing itscontents, means for applying pressure to said mold while vul' canizing,and means for causing resistance to the plastic material so the samewill be forced into the pores of the upper.

2. In a device of the character described, a mold adapted to form theheel, sole and foxing portion only of a shoe, a last adapted .to fitinto said mold and assist in the formation of said heel, sole and foxingportion therein, said mold being so formed as to closely engage thefoxing-line of said last to cause a resistance and prevent the freeflowing of the material therefrom, and means for applying heat andpressure to the material.

3. In a device of the character described, a mold adapted to form theheel, sole and foxing portion of a shoe, a last over which a shoe may beformed the same being adapted to fit the mold and. assist in theformation of the heel, sole and foxing therein, means for applying heatand pressure to the material, and. means in said last and mold forcausing resistance to the plastic material so that the same will beformed into the pores of the up p 1. In a device of the characterdescribed, a mold adapted to form the heel, sole and foxing portion of ashoe, a last over which a shoe may be formed the same being adapted toit the mold and assist in the formation of the heel, sole and foxingtherein, said mold being so formed as to closely fit the upper on thelast at the foxing-line thereof to cause a resistance and insure theplastic material being forced into the pores of the upper, and

a foxing portion of a shoe from rubber or other means for applying heatand pressure to the material. the material.

5. In a device of the character described, 7. In a device of thecharacter described, 25 a mold adapted to form the heel, sole and l amold made in one piece adapted to form heel, sole and foXing portiononly of a shoe,

plastic material, means for applying heat to a last over Which a shoemay be formed, flexisaid mold for vulcanizing its contents, a last blemeans for applying pressure to said last, or form to assist in theformation of the heel, said last adapted to fit the mold and assist in30 sole and foXing portion, means for applying the formation of theheel, sole and forcing porpressure to said mold While vulcanizing, andtion therein, said mold being so formed as to means engaging thefoXing-line to better reclosely fit the upper on the last at thefoxingtain the material While under pressure. line thereof to cause aresistance when under 6. In a device of the character described,pressure and insure the plastic material being 35 a mold formed in onepiece adapted to form forced into the pores of the upper and adhere theheel, sole and foXing portion of a shoe, a to the same, and means forapplying heat to last adapted to fit into said mold and assist in thematerial. I the formation of said heel, sole and foxing In testimonywhereof I aflix my signature portion therein, said mold being so formedas in presence of tWo Witnesses. to closely engage the foxing-line ofsaid last THOMAS MILLER. to cause a resistance and prevent the free 'es-Witnesses: cape of the material in order to compress and HOWARD E.BARLOW, harden the same, means for applying heat, I E. I. OGDEN.

and flexible means for applying pressure to

